Residents in several Kamukunji neighbourhoods lost regular tap water after a road‑rehabilitation contractor damaged a water pipe at Gikomba, prompting the Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company (NCWSC) to close the Desai Main Line for repairs.

NCWSC technical teams are working to repair the line and have said normal supply will resume immediately once the repairs are completed.

The company confirmed that the interruption was caused by damage to the Gikomba water infrastructure during the road works, which required the shutdown of the main line.

To mitigate the shortage, the newly drilled Biafra Borehole has been fully deployed to serve part of California Ward as an alternative water source while the main pipe is being restored.

NCWSC listed the affected areas as California, Biafra, Kinyago, Kanuku, Kariokor, Old Racecourse, Ziwani, Gikomba, Section 3 Eastleigh, Shauri Moyo, Pumwani Maternity and Burhan.

Households and businesses report higher expenses, with the price of a jerrycan rising from Sh20 to Sh50 and the cost of 50 jerrycans increasing from about Sh200 to Sh700.

Water vendors say they now travel farther, sometimes to Section Three, to obtain supplies, which raises their operating costs and pushes higher prices onto customers.

Small business owners, such as salon operator Felister Kerubo, note that the shortage forces them to spend more on water purchases, affecting their ability to maintain normal operations.

NCWSC indicated that normal water supply will resume once repairs are finished, while some residents continue to rely on alternative sources in the interim.